 The belated superstar who endured endless frustrations until first achieving phenomenal success in his thirties has usually followed his gut instincts-and rightly so. Each of his previous 10 albums has been certified at least platinum, including 1994's Greatest Hits which went double platinum, reached the Top 10, and remained on the charts a year later. Credited with bringing together Detroit's inner city soul and blue-collar hard rock, Seger fought the good fight for years, unacclaimed and underrated. Playing six nights a week at frat parties, strip joints and any club that would pay him, the tough guy with the heart of gold worked up a sweat and rocked. Before we'd ever heard of Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp or Tom Petty, Seger was flying the banner of working-class American rock. His overnight success took 10 years. Only with his ninth album was the cult legend finally hailed as the quintessential American rock hero. Today, a list of only a few of his songs includes more rock anthems than just about any other artist: "Rock and Roll Never Forgets," "Night Moves," "Against The Wind," "Hollywood Nights," "Still The Same," "Old Time Rock & Roll," "Like A Rock"... " "At first, my goal was to earn enough money to buy a motorcycle and drive through Europe," he says now. "I figured I'd be out by 25 and get a real job. I didn't think it would last." He smiles. "Now those darn kids' have a Hall of Fame." Beginning with Beautiful Loser in 1975, Seger & The Silver Bullet Band have earned 10 consecutive platinum albums. Beginning with Night Moves the following year, he's had eight consecutive Top 10 albums.
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